Eight Satellites Launched Thursday Morning Using Pegasus Rocket

After two aborted attempts, NASA and Orbital ATK launched a constellation of eight microsatellites using a Pegasus rocket released from Orbital's Stargazer L-1011 aircraft Thursday morning.

The rocket carried eight satellites that will be part of the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS). The spacecraft will monitor tropical cyclones using GPS data to more accurately track storm speed, course and strength.

Spaceflight Insider reports that five seconds after release, the Pegasus rocket fired its first stage for 65 seconds. The second stage burn lasted 161 seconds, at which point the payload fairing was jettisoned. The third stage then ignited, and lofted the satellites into their assigned orbit.

Science operations are expected to begin two months after launch.

The small size of the satellites means they cannot carry fuel that would allow them to be steered to study specific storms. But multiple satellites means that any point in the tropics can expect a flyover approximately every seven hours.

(Image from NASA TV video)

FMI: www.nasa.gov, www.orbitalatk.com